The math2374.nb file on the page where you download labs
will work in (linux) IT Labs and Math Department labs. If you want to use
the ShowLive command (and its relatives) with Mathematica on
your home computer, you'll have to do a little work to install
LiveGraphics3D.
Please note that we can't provide computer support for every known configuration. We'll try to walk you through the general process, but you'll have to do the steps on your own.
In order to use LiveGraphics3D within a notebook, you need to have the Mathematica packagage JLink. If you have Mathematica version 4.2 or later, it was probably installed automatically. Otherwise you'll have to download it on Wolfram.com. Follow the directions there to install it properly.
Now execute the following commands in a terminal. If you have Mathematica 5.0, you can copy and paste them from here; otherwise you need to change "5.0" to your version number.
cd ~ mkdir .Mathematica/5.0/AddOns mkdir .Mathematica/5.0/AddOns/Applications mkdir .Mathematica/5.0/AddOns/Applications/LiveGraphics3D mkdir .Mathematica/5.0/AddOns/Applications/LiveGraphics3D/Java mv ~/live.jar .Mathematica/5.0/AddOns/Applications/LiveGraphics3D/Java
If the Windows machine you're using has a recent version of Mathematica (at least 4.2) then you should be able to use the math2374.nb file without installing the JLink package. Otherwise follow the links above to download and install it.
You should still download the "live.jar" file as described in the section above.
Once you click the button in math2374.nb, to load the commands, you will need to run one additional command to tell Mathematica where to fine the "live.jar" file:
AddToClassPath["C:\Documents and Settings\rogn0021\Desktop\live.jar"]
You should adjust the string inside the command to reflect where you saved the "live.jar" file. The pattern above would work on a Windows XP machine, for example, where my user name is "rogn0021" and I've saved the file on my desktop. If you're running Windows 98 and it's on your desktop, it might look more like:
AddToClassPath["C:\Windows\Desktop\live.jar"]
Let Jonathan Rogness (or your lecturer, or your TA) know if you're having trouble getting this to work. We can't provide technical support in general, but we recognize that the ability to use these commands in other labs would be helpful. We will certainly try to make sure it works in Unix IT Labs.